6+ Skin Uses for Banana Skins

So you thought that banana skins were just rubbish? I knew that rubbing the inside of the banana peel on an itchy insect bite could bring relief. Check out these other cool uses for banana skins.

Psoriasis - Rub the inside of a banana skin on the area of skin affected by psoriasis. It will be red at first but within a few days there should be a noticeable difference.

Acne - Rub the inside of the banana skin over the acne. It should soothe the skin and reduce acne breakouts. After a few uses the acne should be improved.

Poison Ivy - Rub the inside of a banana peel on to the area affected by the poison ivy. The inflammation should go and the itching stop.

Warts - Rub the inside of a banana peel on the wart each night. It takes about a week or two for improvement. It is reported that plantar warts as well as regular warts have responded to this. Some say that tapping the banana peel to the affected area overnight gives better results.

Bruises - Banana peel can speed up the natural healing and recovery so that the skin cells regenerate and restore themselves more quickly.

Wrinkles - Regularly pressing the inside of the banana peel on to large areas of the skin like the forehead or cheeks may help to tighten up the sink and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. This is not an instant fix.

Burns and Scratches - apparently the oil in a banana peel can help relieve the pain from burns and scratches.

Splinters - Tape a piece of peel over the splinter. The enzymes will help dislodge the splinter and heal the wound.

Plants - Not only are banana peels good for your skin they are good for your plants as well. When your houseplants are dusty wipe each leaf with the inside of a banana peel. It will clean off all the dirt and replace it with a great shine.

Shoe Polish - I know this is not exactly skin care but another use for the banana skin is to give a quick shine to your shoes. Rub the inside of the banana skin directly on the shoe and then polish with a dry cloth. Works for silverware as well.

Oh and for all the gardeners out there I believe they make very good fertilizer.

Banana skin contains antioxidants such as lutein and minerals, especially potassium and phosphorous, that help the skin restore itself naturally. The particular compounds in banana peel appear to be useful in reducing inflammation.

So next time you eat a banana consider if you have a current use for the skin before you throw it in the rubbish.

Have fun

Jocelyn

Homemade Facial Masks from the Kitchen

Kitchen beauty can be extended to homemade facial masks. The following ideas are all simple homemade facial masks recipes. None of them are complicated. In fact most of them consist of just one ingredient. It is easy to make your own facial masks with these simple ingredients

• Honey - Simple and easy just use plain honey. Open the pores by using a warm wash cloth. Smear the honey on and leave for 15-30 minutes. Wash off with warm water followed by cold water to close the pores.
• Egg White - Beat the white of an egg until it is frothy. spread it on your face. Leave it on until it dries, then rinse it off. An egg white mask will tighten the skin.
• Egg Yolk - Apply an egg yolk to your face and neck for 30 minutes then rinse with cool water. some people find this a great help in healing blemishes. That could be due to the great nutrients in the egg yolk.
• Banana - Mash about 1/4 of a ripe banana, or as much as you think you will need. spread it on your face and leave it for about 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and then cold water to close the pores.

Try Some Combinations

• Combine a little honey with egg yolk.
• Mashed banana with about 1 tablespoon of honey is considered to be soothing and great for oily skin.
• Egg yolk, honey and oatmeal - Use 1 teaspoon of honey and one egg yolk. Mix together then slowly stir in oatmeal until you have a soft paste. Smooth it on to the face. Leave for 15 minutes then rinse off with warm water.
• Avocados and honey are considered to be great for moisturizing the skin. See previous articles about avocado and its uses on the skin.

Natural beauty treatments are very easy to use when you can use foods that are in your kitchen. You can feel confident that there are no harsh additives in your facial mask when you have made it from simple foods you would otherwise have eaten.

If you would like some extra facial mask recipes that use more than one ingredient try this page at wittyliving.com

Have fun as you experiment with kitchen recipes as part of your beauty care.

Jocelyn

Kitchen Beauty - Avocado for Your Hair

Avocado in your hair?

Is this taking kitchen beauty too far?
I don't know. I have not tried this myself but I have come across two recipes for using avocado to strengthen and nourish hair.

Recipe #1

Combine 1 avocado, 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mash the avocado until smooth and mix in egg yolk and oil until well combined.

Recipe #2

1 ripe avocado, 2 tablespoons yoghurt, 1 gee, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary oil, 1 tablespoon jojoba oil.
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and well combined.

How to Use

The idea is to work it into the scalp. Massage the mixture into the scalp and hair. Leave it in for about 20 minutes. Wash out with shampoo and conditioner.

It is supposed to help the hair regain elasticity, shine and body.

While I haven't tried this I can quite well believe that it could have very beneficial effects due to the wonderful nutrients in avocado.

Natural beauty aids from the kitchen are useful though this one sounds messy. If you try this one let us know how it goes and whether you liked it.

Jocelyn

Kitchen Beauty - Use Avocado for these 6 Skin Conditions

Kitchen Beauty and Collagen

Avocado oil applied to the skin helps the skin to produce collagen. Some studies have found that the use of avocado oil on the skin gives a significant increase in the amount of collagen in the skin.

Collagen increases the strength of the skin and its elasticity. The amount of collagen in our skin decreases with age. It is lack of collagen that causes wrinkles.

Vitamin C and magnesium are necessary nutrients in the production of collagen. These, along with other beneficial to skin nutrients, are found in avocados.

Avocado oil is known to penetrate the skin to a higher degree than many other oils. This helps those nutrients to be transported from the outer layer to the deepest layer of the skin.

It is easy to see how using avocado pulp and avocado oil on your skin can be a help in your beauty skin care routine.

Natural Beauty for Skin Conditions

1. Rashes and rough skin - apply avocado to skin to make it smooth.
   
   
2. Sunburnt skin - rub fruit gently over affected skin for soothing relief.
   
   
3. Age spots, sun damage and scars - softens skin and gives moisturizing effect due to the high sterolin (plant steroid) content of the oil in avocado.
   
   
4. Dehydrated or sun/climate damaged skin - assists in the re-formation and rejuvenation of skin.
   
   
5. Psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis - relieves dryness and itchy, red or irritated areas. Avocado sugars produce an antimicrobial layer over the skin which helps bring this relief. Avocado is easily absorbed into the deep layers of skin.
   
   
6. Small cuts and bruises - hastens healing.

Mash avocado pulp smoothly and use it on any skin that could benefit from it. Alternatively keep some avocado oil on hand and use it on skin conditions as needed.

I usually keep avocado oil in the kitchen because mixed with apple cider vinegar it is my favorite salad dressing. When I use it on my skin it really is a kitchen beauty aid. Remember that avocado oil has a sun protection factor (SPF) of about 6-8.

Enjoy using natural beauty care from your kitchen.

Jocelyn

Kitchen Beauty - 5 Avocado Facial Mask Ideas

Avocado

Avocado is an excellent food to eat. It is packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Of all of the fruits it is the richest in protein, potassium, magnesium, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantathenic acid and vitamins E and K. On top of this avocado has anti bacterial and anti fungal properties. In short a veritable storehouse of goodies.

What is not so well known is that it is also very good for the skin. Kitchen beauty treatment in the form of avocado might sound messy but it can have good results.

Facial Beauty

There are a few ways of preparing avocado to use as a facial mask.

1. Simply mash a ripe avocado until it is smooth and apply to the face.
   
   
2. Mash a ripe avocado until smooth and add a little honey and either lime juice or orange juice. The juice helps to thin it down a little.
   
   
3. Add a little milk or oatmeal to the mashed avocado.
   
   
4. Mash a ripe avocado until smooth then add 3-4 drops of almond or other essential fatty oil.
   
   
5. Add 3 tablespoons powdered clay (from health food store) to the smoothly mashed avocado. Leave on till it dries, rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Apply your avocado mixture to the face gently massaging into skin. Leave the avocado mask on for between 15 - 30 minutes. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.

These kitchen recipes for an avocado facial mask will leave your skin feeling soft and moisturized.

Adding kitchen beauty ideas to your beauty care routine could easily reduce the cost of your skin care. The other benefit, aside from great results, is that you know what is in it. When you mix it up yourself you know that there is nothing in it that will harm either your skin or your health.

Have fun and enjoy your natural beauty.

Jocelyn

Procrastinating? Stop It In Its Tracks!

Procrastination - The Thief

Can procrastination stop you from reaching your goals? Yes. Procrastination is a thief. It steals our time, our peace of mind and our ability to reach our potential. Procrastination can become so embedded in our lives that we don't always realize that we are procrastinating. Habits are like that though. They become so automatic that we don't really think about them. At least not until we are forced to. So it is with procrastination we go on doing it until that thing we have been putting off will be put off no longer.

How To Stop Procrastinating?

I hear you ask that question. Is it even possible to stop procrastinating? Actually it is. Just like any other habit you can help procrastination to have a speedy exit from your life. Is it easy? well that is another question all together and the answer could be different for everyone. But possible? Yes, a definite yes, no matter what you are procrastinating about, there are ways to stop procrastinating.

Recognizing it as a problem is a good first step. Next is to get a good source of information giving you the information on how to stop procrastinating. Using that information, make a plan using the strategies that you feel will work best for you. Finally start putting it into practice. Don't give up adjust your plan as you go. You might even find some new tips and strategies to help you stop procrastinating.

Don't Aim For Perfection

Don't be discouraged if you are not perfect in your efforts to stop procrastinating. Like any habit it takes some time of new behavior before the new has firmly displaced the old. The trick here is to recognize mistakes and keep working on the plan. You can do it. Learning to stop procrastinating can open up a whole new world of possibilities and options for you.

Beating Procrastination

Beating Procrastination is a book written by Jack Webster, a self confessed former master of procrastination. He takes us on his journey as he learned how to stop procrastination. He shares the highs and his lows of his journey. More importantly he shares the strategies that have worked so successfully for him. It is a tool that could give you that needed impetus to begin a life free from procrastination.

Do it now.
Yours in freedom,
Jocelyn

Nutrients in Eggshell Membrane

Again I revisit the topic of eggshell membrane. I put this information together because someone left a comment asking about what nutrients were in the membrane.
I was aware of some of them but when I looked it up I found there was more to say on this than a brief comment.

Connective Tissue

Essentially egg shell membrane is connective tissue. It contains glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen and hyaluronic acid. These are also components of human connective tissues.

Because the eggshell membrane contains all the nutrients needed to create healthy joint tissue there is now a product that is made entirely of natural eggshell membrane. This product is known as NEM and is sold as a joint health nutraceutical. Studies conducted with this product have shown that people find benefits in their movement and comfort within 7 - 10 days. It is used for the relief of the pain and discomfort associated with joint and connective tissue disorders.
100% Natural Eggshell Membrane 30 Veg Caps

Other Nutrients

Calcium, magnesium, and protein are also found in the eggshell membrane.
The proteins in the egg shell membrane have a high concentration of the animo acids of arginine, glutamic acid, methionine, histidine, cystine and proline.

Hyaluroic Acid (HA)

HA gives elasticity to the joints and rigidity to the vertebrate disks. It is also important in the eye. It has a high water content. It is thought that because of its high water content the HA in some tissues is what causes them to be resistant to compression.
HA also acts as a type of shock absorber in some parts of the body.

Scientists have been able to isolate HA out of the eggshell membrane and use it to provide protection, lubrication, pain reduction and hydration to some cartilage and tissues in the treatment of arthritis. This is often administered by injection.

I am sure there is more interesting information out there about eggshell membrane and I look forward to hearing from any one who has information or a story to share about egg membrane.

Be well

Jocelyn